Selecting an interface for selecting quantities of an item based on information about the item accessible by an online concierge system

Abstract

An online concierge system offers items for sale and uses different units of measurements for items, allowing users to purchase numbers of an item, a weight of an item, or a packages of an item. To avoid confusing users with multiple options for specifying a quantity of an item, the online concierge system determines whether to present an interface for purchasing an item by a number of the item, by weight of the item, or a number of packages in the item from dynamic information about the item. For example, the online concierge system obtains historical pricing information an items and computes a par-weight price for the item from prior purchases of the item. The online concierge system uses the par-weight of the item to select an interface for a user when purchasing the item.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 generating a user interface for selecting an amount of an item for purchase, the user interface including a selection element for specifying a quantity of the item;   obtaining, at an online concierge system, quantity selection information for an item offered by a warehouse;   determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item;   responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item, determining that the item is not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information;   responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item and to determining that the item is not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information, determining that quantity selection information includes a par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system;   responsive to determining that quantity selection information includes the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system, configuring the selection element of the user interface to display the par weight of the item and to include a quantity selection region configured to receive a weight of the item; and   transmitting the user interface for display on a client device of a user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the par weight is determined by the online concierge system from previously fulfilled orders including the item. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the par weight is determined by the online concierge system by:
 identifying a set of previously fulfilled orders including the item;   for each previously fulfilled order of the set, retrieving a number of the item obtained and a weight of the item obtained; and   determining the par weight from the number of the item and the weight of the item obtained in each of the previously fulfilled order of the set.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the set of previously fulfilled orders comprises a threshold number of orders received within a threshold amount of time from a current time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the per item interface displays an estimation indication in conjunction with the par weight, the estimation indication displaying that the par weight was determined by the online concierge system. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that quantity selection information does not include the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system:
 determining that the item is included in a package; and 
 responsive to determining that the item is included in the package, configuring the selection element of the user interface to receive a number of packages of the item. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining that the item is included in the package comprises:
 determining that at least a threshold percentage of previously orders include an indication from a shopper that the item was included in a package.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that quantity selection information does not include the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system:
 determining that the item is not included in the package; and 
 responsive to determining that the item is included in the package, configuring the selection element of the user interface to receive a number of the item. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining that the item is included in the package comprises:
 determining that at least a threshold number of previously fulfilled orders include an indication from a shopper that the item was not included in a package.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that quantity selection information does not include the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system:
 determining that no indication whether the item is included in the package is stored in association with the item; 
 determining a category associated with the item by the online concierge system; and 
 selecting a configuration of the selection element of the interface based on the determined category; and 
 transmitting the interface with the selected configuration of the selection element to the client device of the user. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the item is not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information comprises:
 determining that the item is not included in a set of items for sale by weight only.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item, determining that the item not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information; and   responsive to determining that the item not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information, transmitting the interface to the client device of the user.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the quantity selection information for the item includes the cost per unit for the item; and   responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item includes the cost per unit for the item, configure the selection element of the interface to receive a number of the item.   
     
     
         14 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 generate a user interface for selecting an amount of an item for purchase, the user interface including a selection element for specifying a quantity of the item;   obtain, at an online concierge system, quantity selection information for an item offered by a warehouse;   determine that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item;   responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item, determine that the item is not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information;   responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item and to determining that the item is not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information, determine that quantity selection information includes a par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system; and   responsive to determining that quantity selection information includes the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system, configuring the selection element of the user interface to display the par weight of the item and to include a quantity selection region configured to receive a weight of the item; and   transmitting the user interface for display on a client device of a user.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the par weight is determined by the online concierge system from previously fulfilled orders including the item. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the par weight is determined by the online concierge system by:
 identifying a set of previously fulfilled orders including the item;   for each previously fulfilled order of the set, retrieving a number of the item obtained and a weight of the item obtained; and   determining the par weight from the number of the item and the weight of the item obtained in each of the previously fulfilled order of the set.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the set of previously fulfilled orders comprises a threshold number of orders received within a threshold amount of time from a current time. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the per item interface displays an estimation indication in conjunction with the par weight, the estimation indication displaying that the par weight was determined by the online concierge system. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 responsive to determining that quantity selection information does not include the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system:
 determine that the item is included in a package; and 
 responsive to determining that the item is included in the package, configuring the selection element of the interface configured to receive a number of packages of the item. 
   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein determine that the item is included in the package comprises:
 determine that at least a threshold percentage of previously orders include an indication from a shopper that the item was included in a package.   
     
     
         21 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 responsive to determining that quantity selection information does not include the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system:
 determine that the item is not included in the package; and 
 responsive to determining that the item is included in the package, configure the selection element of the interface to receive a number of the item. 
   
     
     
         22 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein determine that the item is included in the package comprises:
 determine that at least a threshold number of previously fulfilled orders include an indication from a shopper that the item was not included in a package.   
     
     
         23 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium has instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 responsive to determining that quantity selection information does not include the par weight for the item obtained by the online concierge system:
 determine that no indication whether the item is included in the package is stored in association with the item; 
 determine a category associated with the item by the online concierge system; and 
 select a configuration of the selection element of the interface based on the determined category; and 
 transmit the interface with the selected configuration of the selection element to the client device of the user. 
   
     
     
         24 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein determine that the item is not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information comprises:
 determine that the item is not included in a set of items for sale by weight only.   
     
     
         25 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item does not include a cost per unit for the item, determine that the item not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information; and   responsive to determining that the item not limited to being sold by weight from the quantity selection information, transmit the interface to the client device of the user.   
     
     
         26 . The computer program product of  claim 14 , wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further has instructions encoded thereon, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 determine that the quantity selection information for the item includes the cost per unit for the item; and   responsive to determining that the quantity selection information for the item includes the cost per unit for the item, configure the selection element of the interface to receive a number of the item.